Morgan J. Freeman Movies
Filmmaker Morgan J. Freeman made several short films while studying at the University of California Santa Barbara, the Sorbonne in Paris, and N.Y.U. before getting his M.F.A. in 1994. As an assistant director to Todd Solondz during production of Welcome to the Dollhouse, he met actor Brendan Sexton III, who he cast in the lead role of his own directorial debut, Hurricane. The gritty coming-of-age drama won several awards at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. Freeman also cast Sexton in his next film, Desert Blue, an ensemble comedy drama set in his home state of California. After its meager release, he turned to directing television shows, music videos, and commercials. In 2002, he made the straight-to-video sequel American Psycho 2: All American Girl starring William Shatner and Mila Kunis (from That '70s Show). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide- 2009
- NR
A former small-town golden boy returns to his hometown with his new girlfriend, only to find that his onetime high-school sweetheart isn't willing to let go of the past. In the working-class town where Mike (Matt Long) grew up, football is everything. A few months after leaving for Northwestern University on a scholarship, Mike arrives back home for Christmas break with his pretty new girlfriend, Elizabeth (Jessica Stroup), in tow. Seeing Mike with another woman comes a quite a shock to the people around town; back in high school Mike and his girlfriend Shelby (Mischa Barton) were a fairly hot item, but while Mike has moved on, Shelby has not. The former homecoming queen would like nothing more than to remove Elizabeth from the picture -- permanently -- and when a freak car accident leaves Mike's new girlfriend at the mercy of his bitter ex, Shelby prepares to do whatever it takes to win her old boyfriend back once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mischa Barton, Matt Long, (more)
- 2006
A petty criminal's attempt to turn his life around takes both him and a young boy on an unexpected journey in this independent drama. Twentysomething Daniel Carter (Mark Webber) has been in trouble with the law ever since he was a kid, and his latest misadventure has led him to performing community service at a grade school in the East Village. Daniel strikes up a close friendship with one of the students he's working with, Boone (Antonio Ortiz), an eight-year-old who has shown surprising resilience despite a blighted home environment. When Boone doesn't show up for school one day, Daniel asks some questions and learns his mother has become seriously ill and a foster family has taken him in. Boone is eventually put up for adoption, and Daniel hopes to gain custody of the boy, convinced helping the boy will give him a chance to turn his life around. However, his age and criminal record make Daniel an unfit father in the eyes of the court, and when Daniel's father refuses to help, he has a brainstorm -- Boone has mentioned that he has an older sister in Dallas, so Daniel snatches the boy from his foster parents and hits the road for Texas, planning to reunite Boone with his family. Just Like the Son received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Webber, Antonio Ortiz, (more)
Two brothers who make their living through murder and theft find that their work gets harder when they tangle with an intelligent young woman in this dark thriller. Siblings John (Jake Muxworthy) and Michael (Gabriel Mann) were raised by their father (Tom Sizemore), a psychopath who drifted from town to town, killing people and taking their homes and belongings when he ran low on money. John and Michael traveled with their dad, and have grown up to follow in his footsteps, though while Michael enjoys his work and takes particular pleasure in raping and murdering women, John has less enthusiasm for violence and prefers to kill only when the circumstances demand it, without developing a close connection with his victims. John and Michael's ways take a disquieting turn when they abduct Archer (Kelli Garner), a clever and attractive young woman whom both men fall for. This situation begins to deeply trouble John, and his half-sister, Gertie (Lauren German), suggests that it's time he gave up his life of crime, though it soon becomes clear she has motives of her own. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jake Muxworthy, Gabriel Mann, (more)
American Psycho 2 features Rachel Newman Mila Kunis as the sole escapee of the murderous yuppie from the first film, Patrick Bateman. Since her brush with death, Rachel has found herself unhealthily obsessed with serial killers and their psyches. When former FBI agent Robert Starkman (William Shatner), who handled the original Bateman case, takes a job teaching one of Rachel's college classes, he hopes it will provide him with a needed break from the stress of murder and violent crime cases. Unfortunately, Rachel becomes dangerously infatuated with Professor Starkman, and decides that she'll be his teaching assistant, no matter what the cost. Now Rachel is the serial killer, murdering anyone she thinks is in the way of her potential job. Someone must catch on to her secret before she kills again. Morgan J. Freeman (Hurricane Streets) directs this addendum to the controversial story based on Bret Easton Ellis' controversial novel. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mila Kunis, William Shatner, (more)
Morgan J. Freeman directed this comedy-drama that takes place in the desert town of Baxter Beach, California, where the locals, lookers, visitors and slackers include dreamer Blue (Brendan Sexton III), pipe-bomb babe Ely (Christina Ricci), all-terrain-vehicle champ Pete (Casey Affleck), nerdy Sandy (Sara Gilbert), TV star Skye (Kate Hudson), and chubby Cale (Ethan Suplee). Blue's dad, who had hoped to bring water to the town, died mysteriously in a hotel fire, leaving an abandoned water slide, and Blue hopes to fulfill his father's dream by completing the water slide attraction. Actress Skye is just passing through with her father, a pop-culture prof. (John Heard), but they're forced to stay in town after a truck-spill leads to a quarantine and the presence of both an FBI agent (Michael Ironside) and an EPA agent (Aunjanue Ellis). Skye gets caught up in local fun and games (orange baseball, potato cannon salvos), while her dad reminisces about the '60s with UFO fanatic Caroline (Lucinda Jenney). Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kate Hudson, Christina Ricci, (more)
- 1997
A teenager tries to do the right thing with heavy odds stacked against him in this hard-hitting independent drama. Marcus (Brendan Sexton III) is a 14-year-old growing up in a tough section of New York City. Marcus' father is dead, and his mother is in prison; while she told him that it was for helping to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States, he later discovers that she was actually convicted of the murder of his dad. Living with his grandmother, who works as a bartender, Marcus doesn't get much in the way of guidance, and he soon falls in with a group of kids who ride bikes, hang out, and engage in small-time theft for fun and profit. Marcus and his new friends shoplift CDs and sneakers and then sell them in the schoolyard; however, before long, some of the other kids bring up the idea of pulling bigger thefts for bigger profits, and while Marcus is resistant to the idea at first, the decision isn't entirely his to make. One of Marcus' few friends who wants to see him straighten up is Melena (Isidra Vega), who is growing up with a strong set of principles despite being raised in an abusive home. Hurricane (also released under the title Hurricane Streets) won both the Audience Award and the Director's Award at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival; it was the first feature for director Morgan J. Freeman (not to be confused with actor Morgan Freeman). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Sexton III
